Boeing 737 Max: Worker Said Plane ‘Designed By Clowns’

The release of a batch of internal messages has raised more questions about the safety of Boeing’s 737 Max.

In one of the communications, an employee said the plane was “designed by clowns”.

The planemaker described the communications as “completely unacceptable”.

The 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 after two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed almost 350 people in total.

Boeing said it had released the hundreds of redacted messages as part of its commitment to transparency.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and US Congress were given unredacted versions of the communications last month.

“These communications do not reflect the company we are and need to be, and they are completely unacceptable,” Boeing said.

‘Squad’ Rep Ayanna Pressley’s ex-con husband slaps phone out of man’s hands as he tries to ask her a question

NYC sex offender indicted for threatening to kill Jews, police and federal officials

James Comer to accuse Tim Walz of being ‘asleep at the wheel’ at fraud hearing

Wisconsin judge convicted of obstructing ICE resigns, vows to keep fighting case

Wyoming Supreme Court rules laws restricting abortion violate state constitution

Trump admin expands visa bond requirement to 38 countries, with fees up to $15K

Video shows masked thieves using sledgehammer in brazen Lululemon heist before fleeing in U-Haul

Vance reposts sombrero meme mocking Democrats’ Jan 6 candlelight vigil

‘The People’s Qur’an’: Mamdani announces NYC Quran exhibit with book belonging to revolutionary activist

Biden, Who Donated Less Than 1 Percent of His Income to Charity at Times, Is Getting the Single Most ‘Extravagant’ Presidential Pension in History

Pardoned Jan. 6 participants demand ‘retribution’ in first commemorative march on Capitol

Jasmine Crockett Has Vulgar Response to SCOTUS After She Lost District in Texas

Trump announces Venezuela turning over millions of barrels of oil to US government ‘immediately’

Massive luxury handbag heist caught on camera as heavily armed police swarm California store

Alert: Michael Reagan, Son of President Ronald Reagan, Has Died

Simulator pushback

One unnamed employee wrote in an exchange of instant messages in April 2017: “This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys.”

The documents, which have been published by the Washington Post, also show Boeing’s plan to push back against requirements that 737 Max pilots receive training on simulators, which would have led to higher costs for its customers, making its aircraft less attractive.

“I want to stress the importance of holding firm that there will not be any type of simulator training required to transition from NG to Max,” Boeing’s 737 chief technical pilot at the time, Mark Forkner, said in a March 2017 email.

“Boeing will not allow that to happen. We’ll go face to face with any regulator who tries to make that a requirement.”

On Tuesday this week, Boeing reversed its position by recommending 737 Max simulator training for all pilots.

These messages refer to Boeing employees telling lies, covering up problems and treating regulators with contempt.

They reinforce the impression – already expressed vividly by whistleblowers and in Congressional hearings – that Boeing was a company that had lost its way, focused on maximising production and keeping costs down, rather than on safety.